Watching
by ashhead
Summary: Tony and Michelle's relationship from everyone else's perspective. Chapter 2 up- and its happy
1. George Mason

A/N Hey- thought I'd try something different. This is a T/M story, but told from other people's POV. This first chapter is George's POV and is set before s2. Not written anything in 1st person before, so any comments are appreciated. Also, I don't hate Tony, but based on his day one persona I guessed that George might.

I hate my job, there's not really very much more I can say on the matter. I come here, 7 days a week, generally at ridiculously early times in the morning, and don't get to leave until I'm so tired that collapsing in front of the TV with a microwave meal is about all I can manage. The job itself is awful, I spend all day under immense levels of pressure, dealing with incompetent staff and having to co-ordinate with my even more incompetent superiors.

They've all learnt not to approach me unless it's for a very good reason, well, almost all of them. She's coming my way again, she's normally the one they elect to send up here, mostly because she doesn't give a damn about what I might say to her. She's perhaps the least incompetent of my staff, and somehow I don't seem to mind her even when she is having a stupid moment. It doesn't hurt that she looks like that either.

Make up done perfectly, despite the fact that the sun hasn't even decided to show itself yet, and complemented by her hair which, although has been pulled back, cascades loosely about her face in perfect ringlets. She looks stunning, and she knows it, although I'm aware that it isn't for my benefit.

I try not to look as though I've been watching her as she slides into my office, throwing, "Mr. Mason..." around a couple of times before handing me a file and sliding out again. This is unusual, she's not worked here long, but normally she isn't the type of girl to have difficulty constructing a sentence, more like one who would seriously kick your ass if you weren't doing what she asked when she asked. And she's done this more than a few times, mostly to the new IT techs that division sent over. I almost feel sorry for them, they are all quite clearly besotted with her, but she is completely ignorant to this, and gets annoyed when they have difficulty working for her.

My eyes slide to the reason that she is so unaware of their, and most of the male members of the office, regard for her. He's perched on the edge of her desk, and is probably the reason she was so incoherent when she was in my office.

He's also one of the reasons I hate my job so much. Aside from the horrific hours, abysmal pay and incompetent staff, Tony Almeida, and all those like him, and so far their has been one like him in every office I've worked at, is the main reason why I so often feel like if I were to spend two years lying on a bed of nails, it might be more fun than coming to work.

He's one of those irritating people who thinks they know everything and that they are always right. Generally speaking, he is as well, which just makes it even worse. Not only that, half the girls in the office are madly in love with him, Paula has only been working here two weeks and already she spends every spare moment she has eyeing him.

But like Michelle, he's completely blind to it. He's completely blind to everything apart from her, which is very entertaining.

In fact, about the only thing I look forward too when I come to work is the entertainment they provide. He asks her for help and opinions on things which have nothing to do with her, and she readily agrees, all the while standing just that little bit too close to him. Most of their actions are followed by glances at each other, for no discernible reason, but which half the office is aware of. And messages which could be relayed by phone or over the network are always delivered in person.

Overall, the interactions between the two of them are the highlight of my day, especially considering that nothing is ever going to happen between them. I know I'm a horrible, miserable person for finding that amusing, but I don't really care. I'm allowed to be miserable, my life is a hideous blur of boring, unending meetings and nights spent alone on my ancient couch watching documentaries about the mating habits of zebras. I think I ought to be allowed to take pleasure in watching them torture themselves.

Michelle works for Tony, and she's too composed to ever let anything happen between them, she'd have a fit if she weren't in absolute control of a situation.

Not only that, but he's still on some weird crusade to separate his professional life from his personal life, something which he ought to have learnt by now is never going to happen. Has he not seen the people he works with, not one of them has managed to maintain a relationship with a civilian, it's just too hard.

But Nina messed him up, she messed everyone up. Hell, she's the reason I'm here, working in this ridiculous job and trying to pretend like I give a damn. Palmer owes me a promotion, but I'm not going to get it, I never was. I'm going to be stuck in this office for the rest of my life, watching pretty girls flirt with complete morons.

Still, its not that bad. Tony's leaving her desk now, she's staring into the computer, trying to cover up that beautiful smile that's spreading across her face whilst he shoots her very obvious glances as he returns to his station.

The only way they'll ever get together is if the world is about to end, and until then, at least the entertainment's good.

A/N- let me know what you think, I'm still not sure about the idea. I might try another chapter either from Paula's or Carrie's POV.


	2. Carrie Turner

Carrie's Pov- set during day 2 during the Tony/Michelle kiss moment. Please R&R with ideas on how to improve this chapter because I struggled a lot with Carrie as a character.

I hate her. What more can I say. I hate how perfect she always is, and how everyone she meets wants to fawn over her. She's not a little kid, she can take care of herself, that I know. I've seen her drunk, she really doesn't need anyone to take care of her.

I mean, take now. I've been attacked because she was incompetent enough to bring her brother into a compromised location during an active protocol. Her brother, a known psychopath. But am I the one receiving the treatment? Of course not. Poor Michelle might be upset because her insane brother attacked me, so it's Michelle who needs to be taken care of.

Tony is so obviously obsessed with her, that was clear as soon as I got here. He could barely take his eyes of her, even when she was working against us. If she was anyone else, she would have lost her job by now. But no, Michelle couldn't possibly get fired, what would Tony do then? He might actually have to work.

So, here I am, getting checked out by CTU medical, the most incompetent medical staff available, and my boss runs off to check on his girlfriend. For all he knows, I could have internal bleeding. It would serve him right if I did, especially if I died whilst he was seeing to her, they'd both lose their jobs that way.

Unfortunately, I've been given a clean bill of health, if I was at Division, I'm sure I could have milked a couple of days off out of this, but Tony already has his obsession, and there's no room for sympathy for anyone else.

Figuring that I ought to get back to work, if only to access the CPB software on Michelle's network and start it up, just to prove how truly stupid she is, I moved across to her desk. It's pretty much the same as it was at Division, boring. No personal items, no photos. Hardly surprising, the only person in her life is her brother, and I certainly wouldn't want a photo of him on my desk.

That was when the call from Chappelle came in, he wanted to talk to Tony, and this was by far too good a moment to pass up.

I'd seen him as he tried to sneak down the corridor she'd disappeared into after her mini breakdown. I'm not sure which was more amusing, Michelle on the verge of a nervous breakdown in the middle of the office or Tony trying to sneak whilst on crutches.

I found her wrapped up in his arms, hardly surprising. Why is it that everyone sees her as this vulnerable girl that has to be protected from the world. She gives as good as she gets, I had a black eye for two weeks after her idiot brother tried to kill himself.

He tried to pull back from her, but being the whore that she is, she kept herself entangled with him. Then, more interestingly, and pretty unusual for Michelle, she leaned in and kissed him.

This I definitely find amusing. Michelle is so bad at relationships its untrue. She's the only person I know who got dumped five minutes into the date, and it was a movie, so it wasn't even as if he had to talk to her. She never, ever makes the first move, always afraid that she's going to get shot down. Which is so what is going to happen here. I mean, not even Tony could be stupid enough to start something with one of his employees on the day that WW3 is going to start, especially not one as deranged as Michelle.

But I have to admit, she is fairly cute, murmuring "I'm sorry," between kisses as she struggles to control herself. Oh, this is going to be priceless. He's going to tear her into little pieces, I only wish I'd brought a camera.

She finally pulls back from him with another "I'm sorry," and I wait for him to push her away. But instead, he pulls her back into him, kissing her just as fiercely as she'd been kissing him.

I can't quite believe it as I watch them kiss, surely he can't be that stupid. Did he not see her, pathetic, useless, tears pouring down her face? What the hell is he doing?

As much as I'm tempted to leave them there so that someone else can walk in on them, most of this staff is loyal to Tony, although God knows why. So instead I interrupt them, knowing how much she'd appreciate the fact that I'd been watching them.

Tony acknowledges me as Michelle slinks into the wall, breathing heavily. I almost have to laugh, but manage to hold a straight face. They are both going to pay for this. Ryan Chappelle is going to know about this, and the rest of the idiotic mistakes they've been making all day. Ryan, at least, is a man I can work with.

So as he abandons her in her little corner, the way he should have done originally, I lead him back into the main office, knowing full well that this is the last day either of them will be working here. Maybe I can have his job, I'd do a hell of a better job than he has. Anyway, it serves her right.


End file.
